The Washington swamp not easy to drain

Congress is back. Now, will they do anything for the good of the American people? I wonder how much taxpayer money it costs per year to fund a senator or congressman, their staffs, and all of the ancillary expenses of those 535 offices.

Given their exorbitant six-figure salaries, subsidized medical premiums, and an excellent retirement program, my guess is that it’s anywhere from $750K-$1M per. Using $800K per comes to about $428 million a year. I am sure many of the elites, on both sides of the aisle who have been there for decades and are multi-millionaires, will tell you that’s cheap for the service(s) we are getting. I wonder.

As I listen to the TV and read the paper I can’t help but think that the American public, who spoke very loudly in November, is being ignored by the swamp and its sycophant, the media. The swamp lost its power and money in November, and is bound and determined to get it back, regardless of the cost to the American citizen. What’s that old saying, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” Just ask John McCain.

Unfortunately, power and money are the only things that matter in Washington. I spent two years working in the Pentagon and interfacing with congressional staffers. It’s amazing what they DON’T KNOW, and how that gets translated to our representatives, who unfortunately know even less, especially when there is an agenda, and there’s always an agenda. Understand that the proposed laws drafted by staffers are incredibly influenced by lobbyists.

The Republicans can’t govern (I am not sure that’s true, but..) and the only thing the Democrats know is resist. Now, Elizabeth Warren, a famous native American senator, is running across the country, campaigning for 2020 and championing her belief that the left wing is no longer a fringe element, but “the heart and soul” of the Democratic Party.

Why all this dissonance and why has socialism become part of mainstream politics? What happened to the middle? The left and Obama championed the individual rights of groups vice the rights of all Americans. We didn’t talk about all Americans, but “groups” of selected Americans. The divisiveness that is plaguing this great nation of ours is now coming to the forefront, and I only see it getting worse. Where is our leadership?

Donald Trump won the presidency, but he isn’t your basic Washington “insider.” He is NOT one of the elite. Quite the opposite, he cut through the elite competition like a knife cuts through butter. To bring the president down, look at what’s happening in Washington. The special prosecutor is a joke. There is more collusion going on there than Carter has little liver pills!!! Hillary lost because she was arrogant and felt entitled to the office. The American voter thought otherwise.

The Democrats are crying Russia — how many ballots were changed — and foaming at the mouth for the president’s impeachment. Stalwarts like Bernie advocate Venezuela as an example of how our government should operate!! On the Republican side, three senators, who easily voted for repeal when they knew Obama would veto, killed the possibility of health reform. Now, we will most likely watch the inevitable happen.

Sadly, a state representative has taken vitriolic political rhetoric to a new low — calling for the assassination of the president of the United States!! What is happening in this country? Have we become so polarized in our thoughts that, hiding behind the First Amendment, it’s become OK to say anything we want? We are on a path of destruction that ISIS or Al Qaeda could never achieve.

It’s one thing to disagree with the president, not vote for him, or vote against legislation you disagree with, but to publicly call for his assassination? I did not vote for, or agree with the politics of President Obama. I thought he was and is a socialist. However, I would never in my wildest dreams call for his assassination. He was the president, and he was also a husband and father. Have we lost so much sight of who we are that we don’t become outraged at the call for our president’s assassination? I vividly remember a presidential assassination, and what it did to our country. My God, don’t let that happen again.

Why are we allowing this circus to continue? Our forefathers purposely wrote the Constitution with the thought that our representatives would serve out of patriotism and then return to their homes. Now, we have a political class of citizens who make it their lifelong work, somewhat like the king’s court. The only difference is that we don’t have a king, and the presidency has a 10-year limit. As for the court, well, that’s another issue. How does one come to Washington to serve and end up going home a multi-millionaire? As is often said, “Only In America.”

It’s time to truly consider term limits for our representatives. The elite will cry foul and tell you that “they” know the ropes and can get their constituents “more.” That’s the problem, more. What has it gotten us? More government giveaways, more taxes, more discontentment with government, more political extremism, and an incredible debt. How about a little less.

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